University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

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GEORGE FREDERICK HOLMES The first presidenf of Ole Miss UNVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI 94 'if' ng . L 534254 -xii Ga-N.: The Lyceum Building in l860 Q 0 Q 0 If was on a brighf, brisk, Monday morning in November, in fhe year I848, fha? fhe Universify of Mississippi, now affecfionafely known as Ole Miss came info exisfence. Sfanding on fhe sfeps of fhe Lyceum Building a Mr. Thompson delivered an address on behalf of fhe Board of Trusfees followed by Presidenf George Frederick Holmes who spoke for fhe faculfy. Thereupon fhe Uni- versify was declared officially open and ready fo receive sfudenfs. The firsf session found some eighfy Soufhern genfIemen enrolled. There has probably never been in fhe hisfory of a Universify such an assemblage of sfudenl's . None of fhem had any back ground whafsoever for college work and being fhe scions of fhe soufhern heiarchy fhey were nafurally nof inclined fowards discipline. No more crude and disorderly sef of young men ever assembled in any colIege. These were fhe words of fhe Reverend John N. Wadell who Iafer be- came Chancellor. They came fo fhe Universify affended by fheir slaves and carrying fheir hunfing dogs and guns. Noi' a man on fhe campus wenf abou? wifhouf his pisfol or af leasf a dirk and fhere is acfually a case of an affair of honor fhe cause of which was fhe love of a young maiden of fhe village of Oxford. Pisfols, by 'Ihe way, had fo be checked wifh fhe Dean of Men before going fo class. The sale of infoxicafing beverages wifhin five miles of fhe universify was nafurally prohibifed by law, and five miles being five miles in fhose days of fhe horse and buggy insfead of five minufes was nafurally fough on fhe boys. Buf fhese fellows were no more daunfed from having a sociable drink before breakfasf fhan fhose fhaf followed fhem. The long wagon frains bearing hay or coffon fhrough 'Ihe village of Oxford were more offen fhan nof carrying confraband liquor hid- den under fheir innocenf looking loads. Such acfivifies were nafurally very much frowned on by fhe faculfy and every efforf was made Io curb fhis debauchry, buf fhe sfraw fhaf broke fhe camels back was laid on when one of fhese eager scholars was found keeping a lewd woman in his room. He was severely reprimanded and dismissed from fhe school. Presidenf Holmes foughf fhe good fighf, always opfimisfic, remembering fhaf you'lh musf have ifs fling: buf, in fhe spring of I849, a liffle over a year from fhe fime he came info office, he resigned: and Ieff fhe campus fo regain his heaIfh . Following fhe deparfure of Mr. Holmes, 'Ihe presidency of fhe college was Taken over by Dr. Augusfus B. Longsfreef of Georgia. He was considered somewhaf of a characfer buf was liked by all fhe boys. The aufhor of Georgia Scenes , a series of humorous skefches depicfing early I9fh cenfury life in Georgia, he became fhe fafher of fhe modern American comic sfrip. If was under fhe benevolenf despofism of Judge Longsfreel fhaf discipline of a sorf was inforced on fhe campus and a greaf measure of scholasfic progress gained. 1 I, I I

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'UQ t -rg. 2' THE SCIENCE BUILDING AND THE CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL onorary M.A. Degrees were conferred on disfinguished graduafes from I848 unfil I870g and courses of graduafe level were firsf offered in I870. The Graduafe School was esfablished in I927. ln fhe reorganizafion plan of I870, fhere were six courses of sfudy from which fhe sfudenf could choose. Included in fhese were fwo fhaf led fo posf gracluafe degrees, one fhe degree of Masfer of Arfs and fhe ofher fhaf of Docfor of Philosophy. Wifh fhe larger variefy of sfudies offered by fhis reshuffling plan of I870. more sfudenfs were affracfed fo fhe universify and consequenfly fhere were more who were desirous of fairing pos? graduafe courses. A definife program of graduafe sfudy wifh minimum residence requiremenfs of one academic year was sef up in I890. Fellow- ships in fhis deparfmenf began fo be awarded af fhis fimeg and since l909 fhe number fhaf has received fhe Masfers Degree has increased ouf of all proporfions fo fhe number in fhe fhirfy nine years before. Before fhe official esfablishmenf of fhe school in I927 graduafe worlr was clone under fhe direcfion of fhe general faculfy acfing fhru a graduafe commiffee, buf fhe Board of Trusfees elecfed a Dean charged wifh fhe responsibilify for fhis worlc. While The sfudenf doing graduafe level worlr from I870 for a considerable period was hindered by a field sfudy rafher limifed in scope, Ihe sfudenf of foday has an almosf unlimifed field of sfudies from which fo choose. The Graduafe School confers 'rhe degree: of Masfer of Arfs, Masler of Science and Masfer of Business Adminisfrafion. The cenfer of graduafe sfudies is fhe Alexander L. Bonduranf Graduafe Building which was consfrucfed soon affer The school was officially esfablished. The Graduafe School is headed by Dean Dudley R. Hufcherson. SINCE I92 DEAN D. R. Huron-mason vs f '3s- pu YM 1.

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A rare picfure showing fhe desolafion The people are unidenfified and ruin leff by fhe Union forces 'fllolfwi' The courses pursued by fhese firsf Ole Miss sfudenfs are nof found foo prevalenf foday. Languages, especially Lafin and Greelr, were considered paramounf sfudies. Menfal and moral sciences, rheforic, logic, polifical economy, infernafional law, and evidences of Chrisfianify were also imporfanf subiecfs. Sfudenfs of I948 would find if impossible fo enfer fhe Universify in l848. This, because of fhe exfremely difficulf wriffen examina- fions. Said examinafions insisfed on, among ofher fhings, a lrnowl- edge of fhe five boolrs of Caesar and fhe six boolrs of fhe Aeneid of Virgil. ln July of I856, Presidenf from fhe Board of Trusfees. His influence confinued fo be greafly felf, however, as his son-in-law, L. C. Lamar, fhe noblesf Mis- sissippian of fhem all, became a professor, in furn, Lamar's son- in-law, Edward Mayes became a Chancellor. The reign of Longsfreef was followed by fhaf of Fredericlr A. P. Barnard, who was fo become one of fhe greafesf figures in American educafion and also a greaf name in science. A facile fallxer, Presidenf Barnard addressed a meefing of fhe sfafe legislafure and managed fo secure funds fhaf were badly needed for new buildings and for larger and beffer equipmenf for fhe library and science deparfmenf. Shorfly afferward, fhe Universify of Mississippi foolr ifs honored place as one of fhe besf equipped universifies in America. lf was a remarlrable facf, con- sidering fhaf fhe universify had been in exisfence only I3 years. lf was fhrough Barnard's efforfs fhaf fhe largesf Telescope in fhe world, af fhaf fime, was ordered for fhe school. The war came and if wenf fo Norfhwesfern Universify, where many hisfory malring observafions were made, and if is sfill in use foday. Jusf as The war fool: our felescope, if fool: our greafesf Chancel- lor lfhe fifle of presidenf had been changed fo chancellorl. ln I86l, fhe Universify was closed and Chancellor Barnard refurned fo his home in fhe norfh. Buf, even fhere, he was sfill concerned for fhe welfare of his beloved Ole Miss. lf was 'Through his influ- Longsfreef resigned under profesf ence fhaf General Granf did nof burn or desfroy any of fhe prop- erfy of fhe Universify. Though nof a parf of fhe hisfory of our universify, we of Ole Miss always poinf wifh pride fo fhe record of F. E. P. Barnard affer leav- ing fhe campus. ln IB64, he was chosen presidenf of Columbia College, N. Y. Upon arriving fhere, he found a second or fhird rafe college. When he leff, if was one of fhe oufsfanding edu- cafional insfifufions in America. The women's division is named for him. The drums rolled arcoss fhe eleven soufhern sfafes. From every fown, village, and hamlef fhe horses dashed ouf carrying fheir riders for an appoinfmenf wifh hisfory. Across fhe hof hinferland fhe Sfars and Bars rode in glory. A iubilanf populace raised fheir voices singing a new song-a song fhaf would send fhrills in fo fhe hearfs of men long affer fhose who firsf sang if were gone. A piercing yell brolce everywhere fhe sfillness of fhe evening air and Ole Miss was ready for if's dafe wifh desfiny. The opening of hosfilifies nafurally affecfed fhe academic life of fhe campus for fhe worsf. Many of fhe sfudenfs leff fhe campus immediafely fo ioin fhe Confederafe army. On fhe campus ifself a company was formed. William B. Lowry was elecfed com- mander. lf was iusf an ordinary college company fo fhe eye. There were many such formed 'lhroughouf fhe counfry on bofh sides, buf fhe Universify Greys were fo make a name for fhem- selves 'lhaf would sfand wifh fhe immorfals who wore fhe grey. Forming Company A of fhe Elevenfh Mississippi Davis Brigade. fhey followed Piclreff in his lasf charge againsf Missionary Ridge. As fhey approached fhe summif under fhe hail of wifhering fire fhaf would have forced less daunfless hearfs fo wifhdraw, General Piclreff was sfrucl: down: buf fhe sons of Ole Miss wenf on, reach- ing fhe furfheresf poinf of penefrafion. However no morfal could have falren fhe ridge fhaf day, so fhe Universify Greys were forced fo give way for laclc of supporf. lf was fruly fhe high wafer mark of fhe Soufh, and if was only iusf fhaf fhe gallanf men of fhe Uni- l il l in s: 'i l , I 'z Ml .2 is 1 1 I. l